ARGH!! Put a good starter in after work Friday (chain store starter had lasted 10 days). Didn't drive it at all on Saturday, but just for S&G went out and started it a few times because I now could. Start it today to take my kids over to my friend's house, and hear a howling noise. At first thought it was the fan clutch since the temperatures dropped a lot overnight. Back out of the driveway and it moans and howls as I turn the wheel. Look back at the driveway and see the small puddle that had been forming for a month is now huge! Both hoses coming from the reservoir had been damp the past month or so, the feed hose to the bottom of the pump more so .

Pull back in the driveway, and check the reservoir - a few mm below the min mark, but howling like a SOB. Take the wife's car to let the kids play and get a bottle of Lucas on the way back. My thoughts were the Lucas might get me by until I got the new hoses I was going to order tomorrow. Suction out the old fluid, and refill with Lucas. Start her up, and no power steering at all! Full on manual, even though I can see fluid swirling and foaming in the reservoir.

Thinking the Lucas was too thick, suck about 1/2 of it back out, and top off with normal fluid. This regained SOME of the power assist. Turning right has about 75% assist (with moaning), but left hand turns are still manual until I am closer to left lock when it breaks free and gives assist with moans.

By now the puddle looks like an oil slick. The bottom of the pump is a mess of fluid. Guess I get to add a pump to my hose order tomorrow.

Supposed to get 6" of snow tonight and tomorrow and the tires on the wife's car are in dire need of replacement, so I'm taking the Landy to work with bad steering, because I can't ask for a ride again after getting rides 3 days in a row last week due to the starter.

ARGH!!!

 

Rovers being Rovers. Fix one thing and move on to the next. It continues that way forever or until you sell it.

 

Yeah, I know. I guess the for last 50k miles or so I had been blessed with nothing larger or costly than the Amigo repair, first time PAS pump failure because the pulley flange had walked forward on the shaft 1/8" (had a used PAS pump from my old engine, so no cost), a tie rod, water pump (again used old water pump from old engine so no cost), and SLABS computer failure.

 

Eh, at least this will give me the opportunity to replace the bracket the PAS pump rides in (using part from old engine) because one of the freaking bolts that hold the serpentine belt guard in place snapped when changing the water pump a few months ago.

PS: Thank God I didn't scrap anything from the original engine when I replaced it 5ish years ago when I bought it.

 

You may have got air. You can jack up the front let run and keep going lock to lock. May try heat lamp few hrs before that.

 

Possibly. I just took it for a drive up and down the street a few times (turns much easier with 3" of snow under the tires) making sure to go full lock both ways a few times. Came home and parked it for the night and took the cap off. I put the cap on the driver's seat to make sure I remember to put it back on tomorrow morning.

 

lordmorpheus we are all suckers piling cash into keeping these old relics moving. I have the 12 year old D2 and a 20 year old Pajero both of which are slooowly being updated as they're well past their 'sell by' dates. The only guaranteed reliable vehicles are the 2009 RRS and the wifes year 2000 Smart car basically it has less miles on it even than the RRS. Oh, I forgot, the Honda CBR600F4, that's OK for fine weather

Problem ................ all D2's are 11 to 17 years old and getting cronky and becoming automotive relics and that won't get any better.

 

I hear that. Being strapped for time as the wife's car had **** tires for snow. I am going to install my chain store pump tomorrow after work just because I can have it tomorrow. I am fully aware I will be doing this again in a few weeks to months when it fails. Hopefully by then I will have my tax refund, and a little more advance notice (yes I know this one has been leaking for a while) and can get a decent one from one of the usual suppliers. Getting the feed hose overnight through Carquest (WorldPac) as it is quick and only $39 my cost.

 

I can feel for you buddy, it's even worse as you have done everything right and not abused your truck and to make things worse it's your daily driver. Your lucks gotta turn around soon.

 

Lol, I found a $5 on the floor of an aisle of the local hardware store on Saturday. I complained to my wife that, "Damn. There goes my luck for the day" Sure enough. Later that day my son lost his first tooth (there goes the $5) and the next day Landy gives up her steering assist.

I just really hope that I'm not causing extra wear and tear on my steering gear from little to no fluid being circulated for the 3 miles I drive to work.